Heady Culture Artist Profile: Jeremy Skillings, POTography

Editors Note: Heady Vermont is always evolving. We’re working hard to bring more educational and evocative events, promote positive discussions and constructive dialogue, and generally, ELEVATE THE STATE of the cannabis paradigm and landscape in Vermont and beyond. Money is never the primary motivation, so while we’ll continue to consider how to incorporate advertising and sling a few tee-shirts, we’re pumped to promote heady artists and artisans without any financial consideration. If you are, or know, an artist(s) or artisan(s) who you think fits the bill and would like to be featured, please encourage heady human beings to reach out to us at eli@headyvermont.com or monica@headyvermont.com and catch us in person at UVM on Thursday, December 1.

Jeremy Skillings, owner of POTography –

all featured images courtesy of Jeremy Skillings

HEADY VERMONT: Tell us a little bit about your personal background—age, where you were born, any academic background you’d like to share or anything else to get us acquainted…

Hello Vermont! My name is Jeremy Skillings; 29 years old; I live right here in the heart of Burlington, Vermont. Growing up is weird and so is the town I grew up in, Yellow Springs, Ohio. It’s a lot like Burlington. We put sweaters on trees and absolutely love our local pipe shops. If the name sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because Dave Chappelle lives there (we’re tight). I grew up, from 96-07, in Amherst, Massachusetts; wicked awesome. I played basketball, joined the jazz band, smoked good buddha, took lead roles in theatre… those were some good days. The Grand Daddy Purple was plentiful and the East Coast Sour Diesel was flowing non-stop. Good days. I attended college at NEAi, in Brookline/Boston, Massachusetts for digital video production. It’s such a vibrant city, with many talented folks. That environment offers endless opportunities for budding artists. I started my media production business in Boston, check it out @SkillingsVideo. I make music videos and take some great photos. I graduated in 2012 and marched into Providence, RI; where I met my friend @THCush. He gave me a better understanding of the world of medical cannabis. Basically, I teamed up with him and created a couple years worth of cannabis-themed art. Those years gave rise to the POTography shop, carrying the dankest cannabis gear in town…

HEADY VERMONT: What inspired you to create POTography?

I was on a camping trip, out in L.A. My buddy Jonny had a sweet macro photo of some cannabis trichomes up on his bathroom wall. It may not be the most romantic of settings; but it did the trick; POTography was born. Since moving the Burlington, the business is really starting to take off and form its own culture and audience. I’m super excited about the whole situation. POTography makes cannabis stickers, hoodies/ t-shirts, lighter wraps, jewelry, 420 boxes and dank weed posters. You can find all of the POTography Cannabis Gear online and locally, at The Bern Gallery, Full Tank and Stash N’ Stowe! We will also have some items available on www.HeadyVermont.com!

HEADY VERMONT: Tell us a little bit about your profile as an artist—from where do you draw inspiration, what media do you prefer, how would you describe your style?

I am drawn to a simplistic, old-school style. My work is always visually rich, well-balanced, imaginative and easy to “listen” to. Check out my website to see what I mean. I absolutely love technology and cameras. I am a very detail oriented person so I get down with digital art. The positive response I get from fans of POTography keeps the business moving forward; let us know what products you want, we’ll try to hook it up!

HEADY VERMONT: How long have you been in Vermont and do you feel that your art has a connection to your setting in VT?

Vermont has been a positive and interesting road for POTography. When I moved to Burlington, in 2015, there were no cannabis related items in the glass shops. Now, you’ve got POTography posters hung up high, stickers stacked, and stashes of weed shirts; way to go Vermont! I definitely became a big Bernie fan after moving here. I made an 802 / Vermont lighter slap. And I’ve got some “Maple x Weed” art in the works. Vermont has been incredibly kind and welcoming to POTography; it’s a great place to call home. I hope we get to know everybody better as the cannabis movement continues to gain momentum.

HEADY VERMONT: Has cannabis played a role in your life? If so, in what ways? If you consume, do you feel it has an effect on your artwork?

Oh man; well, I guess I’ve been out of the cannabis-closet for a while now. I have a full time job and own several businesses – and yes, I love marijuana. It helps me relax, focus in, gain new perspectives, feel better on multiple levels; y’all know the gambit of benefits. Years back, I discovered how amazing cannabis goes together with art.. I was in a musical theatre performance of CATS (I was Gus). One afternoon, I arrived to rehearsal late, due to an impromptu hotbox session with some buddies. We walked in during the middle of an exercise; 20 of our classmates were crawling on hands and knees, cloaked in sparkling blue light. Jumping from bridges and bounding up “mountains”; eyes gleaming, mouths mewing. It was psychedelic and artistically impactful.

HEADY VERMONT: What is your vision for the future of cannabis in Vermont? Do you have an opinion about the cannabis reform process and changes you’d like to see?

I am a bit sad that Vermont is behind the eight ball in Cannabis Legalization. Props to Maine and Massachusetts! When Vermont does legalize cannabis, I think that we are going to have a pretty comprehensive program. Although, it may be a bit strict; as is our medical program. Vermonters are excellent at conveying what we need to be happy so I’m estimating legalization by 2018; with smoke lounges, craft cultivators, and home grow rights shortly after. I’d love to see a variety of cannabis industry professionals included in the reform process. During Vermont’s race to legalization, I heard a lot of politicians recite inaccurate information and unrealistic ideas about cannabis and that was difficult. With marijuana’s restrictive past, it makes sense that accurate information has been hard to obtain. Cannabis affects people differently, so users need a safe way to ask personal questions and receive thoughtful answers. Cannabis Consultation services like TheGanjaGuides.com are going to play a vital role in the effective development of our cannabis communities.